INDIANAPOLIS -- If the Raiders looked as if they knew what was coming on a potentially game-changing sack by defensive end Jason Hunter late in the third quarter Sunday, it's because they did.

With the Indianapolis Colts on the Oakland 43-yard line faced with fourth-and-1, Andrew Luck rolled out to his right and ended up being sacked by Hunter for a 13-yard loss.

"Tough play. Good tackle by the defensive guy," Luck said. "They sort of sniffed the play out."

The play had the effect of a turnover, giving the Raiders the ball at the Indianapolis 44-yard line and setting up a 5-yard touchdown pass to Denarius Moore for a 17-14 lead. The defense failed to hold the lead when Luck ran 19 yards for a touchdown with 5:20 to play in a 21-17 win by the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

"We knew they were going to try the boot," cornerback Tracy Porter said. "Seattle gave us problems with the boot, and this is a copycat league."

Said Hunter: "My defensive coordinator (Jason Tarver) was yelling from the sideline, boot, boot, boot, so I mean, we pretty much knew it was coming. I saw my read, and as soon as I saw my quarterback stop and plant I got outside, got containment and I was able to sack him."

The Raiders had three other sacks of Luck, from Lamarr Houston, safety Tyvon Branch and Porter, and got Luck out of an early rhythm that found him completing his first eight passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

Advertisement

"We started to get a little pressure," free safety Charles Woodson said. "Pressure busts pipes. It doesn't matter how good you are in this league as a quarterback, if you can get pressure on a guy, then you have a chance."

Luck's touchdown run came on a play where the Raiders had doubled Reggie Wayne, were playing man-to-man defense, and virtually every defender had his back to the quarterback.

"You have good coverage, then all of a sudden a guy gets out, running and scores a touchdown and it breaks your heart," Woodson said.

Luck got help from former Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who walled off rookie cornerback D.J. Hayden and avoided being called for a holding penalty.

"It was sort of like a box-out technique in basketball," Luck said. "But it's legal, and it got us in the end zone."

Heyward-Bey caught three passes for 33 yards against his former team and drew a personal foul from Branch on the Colts' final scoring drive.

It was rough going for Raiders running back Darren McFadden, who had 17 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown, with a long run of 9 yards. He had a 30-yard touchdown reception from Terrelle Pryor overturned because both feet were not in bounds at the time of the catch.

The Raiders' makeshift offensive line acquitted itself well, with Tony Pashos starting on the right side after being with the team less than a week and Khalif Barnes playing on the left.

"I thought it was a good start for us, and we're only going to get better from there," center Stefen Wisniewski said.

"Defensive ends that would normally just tee off and get to the quarterback, their coach tells them not to give up the pocket because Pryor is going to run," Wisniewski said. "It's a benefit to the line, for sure."